Yet another CCVM keg build

Post your builds here.

Moderator: Site Moderator

Post Reply
DevouringRossus
Novice
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2022 8:07 pm

Yet another CCVM keg build

Post by DevouringRossus »

Hi all,

Mostly been a reader for a fair bit but got COVID, had to isolate, so made an account and advanced my plans to start piecing bits together for a CCVM in my newfound free time. Total newbie so very happy to hear advice, cautions and other whatnots. Also not an engineer so units used are going to jump around wildly.

Here's most of it laid out. It's a bit cobbled together from what I could find and whatever was cheap so there's going to be the odd eccentricity.:
PXL_20220702_003732189_2.jpg
It's the usual flipped 50L keg boiler. I had a DN40 ball valve lying around so just going with a triclamped elbow to the 2inch then into that. Overkill for a drain but it's what I had. Replaced the sili gasket with PTFE that I sanded one side off for the keg-to-contraption mount. So far so good, it's watertight.

Into the keg is going a 3KW low density HWH element I got gifted from a friend that was downsizing - first proper eccentricity right here? It's probably a little underpowered for 50L keg but from what I've read, that mostly relates to the heatup time and it'll manage fine once in the run. The setup is designed for replacing this when I get irritated with not enough power (or adding an extra). Then 4inch fill/cleaning port, 3Inch column port. Weld on some legs. SCR controller for a little extra control.

Column is 3 inch copper in 1x500mm and 1x900mm sections (I amused myself while waiting for parts by cleaning it up but you can see I haven't quite gotten around to the condenser yet).
The plan here was to cut 150mm or so off the top of the 900mm column, add a clamp, and then use that for the coil housing when in reflux mode. Now I'm thinking maybe it'd be better to have that 900 saved as is for a little extra height? Anyway ends in a SS Tee-SS elbow-SS 3inch/2.5inch reducer. All sili gaskets replaced with PTFE.

Winding a double copper coil for reflux mode is obviously on the to-do and there's some great advice on actually doing this around, but I can't find anything to give me an idea about how much copper coil in total I'll need. How long should a double reflux coil be for a 3 inch column? Obviously it's going to vary for element power and even on the spacing of windings but... any ballparks?

PC is going to be a 2.5 inch x 500/600mm copper shotgun filled with 6 or 7 x 0.5inch copper pipes. Again a total, unnecessary, overkill but it's what was lying around and the engineering friend who has kindly agreed to jump on board the project was keen on making the most use of the shell. Yeah probably with some amount of internal baffles in there too.

The next step is taking the keg into aforementioned friend's workshop and kitting it out. Then brazing and assembling the adult Lego.

Cheers all and happy vapour making!
Sporacle
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1149
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2021 10:45 pm

Re: Yet another CCVM keg build

Post by Sporacle »

I would future proof a bit by adding another port for another element further down the track, just blank it off for now. My 2 inch with 4kw will strip at 7 L per hour and I run 2kw on a scr for my reflux runs, looking good
" you can pick your nose and you can pick your friends; but you can't always wipe your friends off on your saddle" sage advice from Kinky Friedman
tjsc5f
Swill Maker
Posts: 198
Joined: Sun Nov 28, 2021 9:18 pm
Location: MO, USA

Re: Yet another CCVM keg build

Post by tjsc5f »

DevouringRossus wrote: Mon Jul 04, 2022 4:42 pm Then 4inch fill/cleaning port, 3Inch column port.
Go with a 6inch fill/cleaning port. I have a 6" on my main keg boiler. I went with a 4" on my thumper keg to save some money, it was a mistake. I don't have big arms by any means, and I can barely get in there past my elbow.
Setsumi
Distiller
Posts: 1371
Joined: Tue Sep 07, 2010 10:23 pm
Location: Central South Africa

Re: Yet another CCVM keg build

Post by Setsumi »

For the coil, 7m of 9.3mm copper should do nice. If you make the input/output longer you could do it with 5m I recon.
My first flute
My press
My twins
My controller
My wife tells me I fell from heaven covered in white. Why did they let me fall?
User avatar
Chauncey
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1570
Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2016 1:30 am
Location: NOLA

Re: Yet another CCVM keg build

Post by Chauncey »

I would definitely go with an extension above the tee. 250mm/10" at least imo. 300mm wouldn't hurt

Depends on your coil. Csst is yer friend here.
<no stopping to corner anytime [] no parking passenger zone>

When people tell me I'll regret that in the morning, I sleep till noon.
DevouringRossus
Novice
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2022 8:07 pm

Re: Yet another CCVM keg build

Post by DevouringRossus »

tjsc5f wrote: Mon Jul 04, 2022 6:55 pm
DevouringRossus wrote: Mon Jul 04, 2022 4:42 pm Then 4inch fill/cleaning port, 3Inch column port.
Go with a 6inch fill/cleaning port. I have a 6" on my main keg boiler. I went with a 4" on my thumper keg to save some money, it was a mistake. I don't have big arms by any means, and I can barely get in there past my elbow.
I originally had 6 inch in mind but boy, while it is cool that it is legal to distill here in NZ the price of getting things like a 6 inch triclamp is extortionate. Fortunately I am even more petite than yourself and I can get my arm up to the shoulder, just with no flexing, on the 4 inch.
Agree that generally this is a great piece of advice though. I think 5 inch should really be the default.
Setsumi wrote: Mon Jul 04, 2022 10:24 pm For the coil, 7m of 9.3mm copper should do nice. If you make the input/output longer you could do it with 5m I recon.
Excellent, we had 8m in mind from a few vague estimates, so it's good to see we weren't too far off.
Chauncey wrote: Mon Jul 04, 2022 11:31 pm I would definitely go with an extension above the tee. 250mm/10" at least imo. 300mm wouldn't hurt

Depends on your coil. Csst is yer friend here.
Yip definitely going to have an extension! Just trying to decide if I cut down the 900 column by a little and use some of that for the extension, or if I want to keep the height and bite the bullet on a length of spool for up there. Probably the latter. Probably. It is always nice to not have to buy anything more but hacking off height now seems like I might be creating height as a choke point for speed in reflux mode.
Sporacle wrote: Mon Jul 04, 2022 4:56 pm I would future proof a bit by adding another port for another element further down the track, just blank it off for now. My 2 inch with 4kw will strip at 7 L per hour and I run 2kw on a scr for my reflux runs, looking good
This is a good point. I currently am looking at weldless bulkhead for my first element because that's what I have, but having a triclamp port would give it some future proof and give some flexibility there. What alignment do folk normally go for multiple elements? Just slightly offset the height and turn by 90-180 degrees?

Cheers all! Great pointers. I'll update when it looks a little more complete.
Sporacle
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1149
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2021 10:45 pm

Re: Yet another CCVM keg build

Post by Sporacle »

DevouringRossus wrote: Tue Jul 05, 2022 4:53 pm What alignment do folk normally go for multiple elements? Just slightly offset the height and turn by 90-180 degrees?
My elements are into inch bsp nipples, set at the same height on opposite sides of the keg and they have been fitted so the elements are angled on the horizontal plane, this keeps the element height as low as possible and allow for a smaller charge amount if required :thumbup:
" you can pick your nose and you can pick your friends; but you can't always wipe your friends off on your saddle" sage advice from Kinky Friedman
DevouringRossus
Novice
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2022 8:07 pm

Re: Yet another CCVM keg build

Post by DevouringRossus »

Sporacle wrote: Tue Jul 05, 2022 5:31 pm
DevouringRossus wrote: Tue Jul 05, 2022 4:53 pm What alignment do folk normally go for multiple elements? Just slightly offset the height and turn by 90-180 degrees?
My elements are into inch bsp nipples, set at the same height on opposite sides of the keg and they have been fitted so the elements are angled on the horizontal plane, this keeps the element height as low as possible and allow for a smaller charge amount if required :thumbup:
Nice! I was a little concerned with the idea of elements getting too close (or it limiting what elements I could even use) if I did them on the same plane but angling them like that makes sense. Didn't really occur to me to not have them going in perpendicular but it should have.

I like the idea of something more modular like the BSP nipple/triclamp ferrule. Seems really sensible long term.
Sporacle
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1149
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2021 10:45 pm

Re: Yet another CCVM keg build

Post by Sporacle »

DevouringRossus wrote: Tue Jul 05, 2022 6:22 pm Didn't really occur to me to not have them going in perpendicular but it should have.
If you do go down that path, just make sure you have sufficient clearance on the end of the element and the keg wall (due to the angle)
" you can pick your nose and you can pick your friends; but you can't always wipe your friends off on your saddle" sage advice from Kinky Friedman
Post Reply